Chusetts



W. P. SHUFFLHON.

CORNER JOINT FOR calas, cRADLEs, AND 1HE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21| |918.

Patented Dec.16,1919.

l||||||||||||| .lllil Inu TTEE) STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILFORD P. SHUFFLETON, 0F GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR T0 GEM CRIB &

CRADLE COMPANY, 0F GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS,

CHUSETTS.

A CORPORATION 0F MASSA- CORNER-JOINT FOR CRIBS, CRADLES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Deo. 16, 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WmroRD l?. SHUrrLE- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gardner, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Corner-Joint for Cribs, Cradles, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a corner joint for knockdown pieces of furniture, such for example as cribs, cradles, baby-walkers, or the like. Many designs have been proposed by which the side of a crib can be detachably connected with the head and foot and similar connections made in other articles of furniture, but they usually involve the difficulty that any strain put on'the struc ture sidewise tends to swing one end or side about another on a single vertical axis, which swinging motion is resisted only by a relatively narrow element, such as a screw head or the like, located at the extreme end of the side piece, and thus easily broken or bent.

nections have ordinarily been made of such a form that the slots or the like in the vertical wall into which the cooperating element had to be placed were capable of filling up with dust or the like, putting the device temporarily out of operation.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a tongue and slot connection which will be spaced from the vertical head and foot member of the crib or the like so that there is no danger of its being lled up, and at the same time to provide it in such a relation to the parts of the frame that it can be made broad and as rigid as may be desired so that a swinging action will be very effectively resisted at the joint.

The invention also involves the construction of the joint in an exceedingly simple and inexpensive form, easily put in place at the factory, not likely to get out of order in use, and if it becomes detached, easily replaced by any person even without skill in furniture making.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompany drawings in whichl Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crib constructed accordance with this invention Another objection has been that the con-A showing in dotted lines the side piece removed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation on enlarged scale showing one of the corner joints;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking toward the corner post as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 isa horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig.' 3.

Although AI have illustrated the invention as applied to a crib I am aware of the fact that it can be applied to cradles and various other articles of furniture in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 1 shows a crib having vertical head and foot members or ends l0 and side members 11.v The members 10 as far as shown in Fig. 1, may indicate the cornerY posts. Each of these corner posts according to the form showir in these drawings is provided with two plain rigid members 12, preferably formed of heavy sheet iron or steel, and

simply bent into a shape in which they have' two parts parallel with each other. The lower part is fastened to the vertical wall of one ofthe posts 10 and secured firmly to it. The upper part, which as stated is parallel with Vthe lower part and oii'i'setA a short distance from it, constitutes a tongue 13. This tongue is permanently spaced a great enough distance from the post 10 so that there is no material chance for the lodgment of dust, dirt or other solid particles between the two surfaces to such an extent as to clog up the space behind the tongue 13.

There are two of these tongue members 13 preferably on each of the corner legs 10, one directly above the other. The tongues are in vertical alinement. The side member 11 is made to have the usual appearance, but it is not quite so long as usual. The ends at the top and bottom are cut olf square and a metal strap 14 is secured to each end. This strap preferably is of a width substantially equal to the height of the wooden piece which constitutes the end of the frame, although of course, it may be less, but it is firmly secured to the front and back and is of a smooth U-shape with square corners. The inside of the strap is spaced from the lend of the frame 1l a distance substantially equal to the width of the tongue 13 to afford a vertical passage for the tongue.

Even the extension of this strap 14 beyond the end of the member 11 is not sufcient to cause that end to engage the corner leg 10 but it is spaced from it at all times.

vWith this construction the only thing necessary to do in order to assemble the parts is to lower the side frame from the dotted line position to the full line position in Fig. 1, guiding it so that all four of the straps 14 pass over their respective tongues 13 and receive them in the passages between the straps and the ends of the frame 11. In other Words, it has a straight downward movement, no side mot-ion being required to lock the parts together and when they are in 'position each tongue 13 fits firmly in the passage between the U-shape strap. 14 and the end of the'frame 11. This prevents the swinging of the parts one on the other because of this tight and rigid connection. On account of the tightness of the it at this point it will be seen that any tendency to swinging the side frame relatively to the head or foot is exerted on the parts of the strong metallic member 12, which is firmly iXed in position and has a Wide' surface bea-ring on the flat surface of the leg 10. The tongue 13 has a Wide surface bearing on the end of the frame 11. This effectively prevents distortion of the parts under any ordinary strain to which they are likely to be put and makes an extremely durable and firm construction and yet one which is easily disassembled and is not in the least likely to get out of shape in storage or moving. There is no Way in which the joints can get clogged up under ordinary circumstances. Although all these advantages are secured yet the construction is thought to be simpler than any other device. For a detachable connection at least it is simpler than those With which I am familiar.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single 'form of the invention I am aware or the fact that modications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art Without departing from the scope oi the invention as expressed in the cla-ini. Therefore I do not ivish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is In a furniture joint, the combination with a vertical member having tWo rigid metallic plates firmly fixed thereto, one above the other, and each provided with a Wide fiat upwardly extendingv tongue parallel with its plane but spaced therefrom and spaced :trom the adjacent Wall oi' the vertical member, said tongue being in the same vertical plane with a horizontal side piecehaving upper and loiver horizontal members with vertical flat surfaces on the end, 'front and rear, and tivo U-shaped members with square corners formed of fiat metal xed against the front and rear surfaces at the sides of said horizontal members and having their centers projecting beyond the ends of the horizontal members to pro 7ide passages betWeen them and said ends for simultaneously receiving said tongues and exactly fitting the same, whereby when assembled the horizontal member Will be firmly fixed with respect to the tongues and if moved will necessarily move the tongues With it, the U-shaped members being spaced from the vertical Wall oi said vertical member so as to a'ord free spaces beyond it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature.

VVILFORD I. SIIUFFLETGN. 

